Sunday, October 5, 2014

"You F***** with me, so I will have the pleasure of killing you"...said mayor of Iguala before shooting activist

By Chivis Martínez for Borderland Beat

The
PRD national council unanimously approved the immediate expulsion of José Luis
Abarca, Mayor of Iguala, Guerrero.Also impeachment
proceedings have been initiated.

The
mayor is wanted for murder.

On
May 30th 2013 hundreds of striking miners, farmers and activists belonging
to Unión Popular Emiliano Zapata (UPEZ), was conducting a protest in Iguala, Guerrero.

The
grievances had lasted over seven years and nothing had transpired to addresses the issues of exploitation
and extreme occupational hazards that faced Taxco miners on strike against
Grupo Mexico, the Larrea family, and the complicity, abuses, and impunity of local
rulers. Other issues were the exploitation of farmers.

In
the case of Iguala, the local ruler is mayor, José Luis Abarca.Iguala residents have long complained of the
criminality of Abarca and his wife, and their alleged ties to Guerrero Unidos
cartel.

On May 29 th, Abarca told a group in an open forum to “stop
fucking around with me, I have people that work for me, that can take care of
this”

Arturo
Hernandez Cordona, (at left) scientist, agricultural consultant, and founder of the local
PRD as part of the National Democratic Leftist group (IDN) asked
Abarca; “what do you mean take care of this?That sounds like a threat to me”

The
next day was May 30th and the protest.It lasted for a couple of hours and everyone dispersed
around 3 in the afternoon. The last of
the protestors to leave were a group of eight organizers and leaders,
including Arturo Hernández Cardona, Ángel Román, Rafael Bandera and 5 others.

The
men were traveling on a toll highway when they were intercepted by an armed
group.Of the eight men, 4 managed to
flee, 3 were killed and their bodies found, and one has never been seen again.One of the
survivors gives details;

On
May 30th we were intercepted by two trucks, one gray Cherokee and a red
Explorer; the Cherokee six people exited armed with guns, and in the Explorer
were two men and a woman, but they just stayed inside the vehicle This testimony is from Nicholas Mendoza Villa, on July 25 last year.

He testified that the armed men got out of the
truck and went to the vehicle of their
and forced them out, right away Hernandez was shot in the right leg.

While blindfolded, they
were moved to an unknown location, although blindfolded, Mendoza said he
could tell it was a field.

He
continued, saying next the blindfolds were removed and "we were looking at ten men with rifles, and
then the beating began. Around six p.m. two
men dug a pit. Late at night three people arrived, of whom he said he knew the
identities of two; the mayor Jose Luis Abarca and Velázquez, Secretary of
Public Security, the third person he was not familiar with.They all were drinking beers which they carried to where they were being held.

The
survivor says the mayor ordered further torture, and at the end of our torture,
mayor Jose Luis Abarca approached engineer Arturo Hernández Cardona, saying how much Hernandez fucked with him, so he will have the pleasure of
killing him.He began beating Hernandez for about 10 minutes
until Hernandez was in a heap, then the director of Public Safety lifted
Hernandez up off the ground, and was dragged 10 feet to a pit, and “ mayor Jose Luis Abarca Velázquez
with a shotgun, fired two shots, hitting
him in the face and once in the chest
and left him lying in the open pit. "

It
was at that point that Felix Rafael Bandera Román, attempted to escape, "but was
executed on the spot.."The mayor
and the other two left at that time, leaving a couple of men to execute the
others and leave the bodies with a poster board with a narco message
to be signed by “Los Rojos”.The
sicarios loaded the two bodies of Hernandez and Bandera and had the others sit on top of them in the back of a
van.

It
was very dark at this time, and the victims knew if they were going to escape
it had to be then.The sicarios were
distracted by discussing if they should dig a pit and leave it open or execute
the remainder of the victims first, when the received a phone call.The sicario that answered actually lied and
said everything was completed.At that
moment the victims ran through the field, in the cover of darkness, into the
mountains.

Four
managed to make it to freedom.Three
of those men moved far from the area.Three bodies
were found, 1 person unaccounted for. It had rained the night of the 30th, rendering the poster board message illegible, however it reads something like:

Rain was probably the reason the killers chose to dump the bodies rather than dig pits.

Another witness Miguel Vivanco testified that the mayor (Jose Luis Abarca Velázquez) and the chief of police visited the place where he and others were being held in captivity, and Mayor ordered them to be tortured. "

At
the funeral for Hernandez, thousands turned out, lined the streets, miners
created fences with their helmets, lining them at attention formation.Honoring the man who lived as they, who only
wanted their rights respected.

Since
the killings, and these events, activists, families, farmers and residents have
been crying out to authorities to take action.They have been ignored.Activist Saltillo
Bishop Raul Vera, along with the
International Centre for Social Justice (Cejil), went to Washington, and
testified before the Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), on the case of the
three activists killed.

On
this matter, the bishop of Saltillo, who heads the mission, reported to the IACHR that there are
authorities who “look function as enemies to those who demand their rights” .
And he wondered: “Public servants?”he
asked. "Rather, butchers have come
into power”.

When
the Bishop returned to Guerrero he was hailed as a hero and cheered by the people.

To their credit, after reciving evidence and a formal complaint, Amnesty International called on the federal government to investigate the murders and the mayor. The federal government refused to become involved.

And
the people of Iguala and Taxco besought justice.They fought for justice, they would not go
away, they would not be quiet, and they would not stop fucking with the mayor,
aka demanding their lawful rights.

Hernandez founded the PRD party in the state of Guerrero, however until yesterday they have shown no interest in becoming involved with the Iguala issues, killings and abuses.

It
was not until perhaps 52 people were slaughtered, students, teachers, soccer
players, was there action.It has been
perplexing to recognize how the world press has largely ignored this story of
injustice, racism, impunity and denial of human rights.I don’t understand it.It has impacted this humanitarian to the
core.

The
mayor and his security have warrants out for their arrest for these murders,
and are “suspected” in the missing and murdered student case.They are on the lam.

While researching this story, I was taken back by the number of mass graves found in Iguala. Taking into account most "fosas" are not discovered, here is what I found for the past year of 2014, just glancing through old articles, in a quick perusal through regional papers. Nationwide media ignores most of the news of fosa finds of Guerrero.February 23 BodiesMarch 4 BodiesApril 6 BodiesMay 19 Bodies (photo above)August 32 Bodies

Please note the fosa count is not complete, locals report that in 2012-2014 residents of Iguala discovered 200 bodies openly dumped in the landfill area surrounding Iguala.

Hopefully,
now that the butcher of Iguala, his security
chief and all those responsible, will be brought to justice.I won’t give up hope, but I will not be
holding my breath.

It took 15 hrs for over a thousand people, to pass through to pay respects.

Guerrero's mines controlled by organized crime

The mines in Guerrero are in the top 10 position in Mexico for: Gold, silver, copper, iron, lead and zinc. Gro is referred to as the gold belt and the place for foreign enities to obtain "cheap gold".Or GGB.And therein lies the core of the issue. Exploitation of the mines and of it's people. The unemployment rate is 2%, but income is only apx 4100 USD per year., or 78 dollars per week. working long hours in very unsafe conditions. Canada is the leading country mining in Gro, 100% of all new exploration and development. From these issues sprung grievances and concerns. Monopolies, and organized crime, see the protest groups as the enemy, a threat to their piece of the financial pie. indigenous communities and campesinos of the Montaña and Costa Chica regions of Guerrero are strongly opposed to the mining exploitation projects being conducted by foreign companies, there is evidence that many exploratory projects are already taking place without a proper consultation of the local people.

Organized crime control mines in 5 states including Guerrero. As for the state and federal governments, they don’t care what the people think, or their rights, what they really care about is generating business with companies, regardless of whether these are indigenous lands, or whether the result is violence and conflict.

Understand, much of this mining land belongs to the indigenous people. Michoacan has like problems. Sinaloa, CT, LFM, GU all steal mining product and illegally mine.

Excellent job, Chivis, getting to the truth in these killings. I heard that some leftist were killed in Iguala last year, but never that the Mayor himself actually tortured and shot them. Incredible, even by Mexican standards!! And, I'm sure you're right - that the woman in the vehicle was his narco wife.

12:44 just because you demand or still beg on your knees for health care, education, fair wages, a job, and show disco tent with the caciques, you get killed and called a communist, a narco-socialista or something like that.Let the narco government or its sicarios do that, I don't think you are government, are you?

Why do the people just not do the same. In the middle of the night. Jump and take out the mayor and his protection. Then eliminate all of the rest of the criminals. They have numbers and they have guns. Even if they did not have high power weapons they could approach them and shoot them before they had a chance. I can honestly say that if I had a son or relative lost to these people they could be taken out one at a time. Not a rambo thing. Just take them with surprise. Take their better weapons and use them against them. I do not understand how the people can be such sheep under these circumstances,. At least die trying to take out the problem rather then be tortured and assassinated. The people that work for him have to go home at night and they could be taken out. Why not try? I just cannot fathom that they do nothing. They have the numbers and element of surprise.

@3:31 The most ignorant comment ever. How are you guys going to be free when China has you by the balls. Give it some time.You guys will be just the opposite of free. China outsmarted you guys and you guys dont see it. Poor USA still thinks everyone is scared of them and their" wealthy "nation.

"@3:31 The most ignorant comment ever. How are you guys going to be free when China has you by the balls. Give it some time.You guys will be just the opposite of free. China outsmarted you guys and you guys dont see it. Poor USA still thinks everyone is scared of them and their" wealthy "nation."

They aren't scared of our "wealth" it's the threat of tomahawk missle up their ass. Are you old enough to remember how big and bad Sadam Hussein was in the first Gulf War? Do you remember how much shit he talked? Then the bombs started hitting and his ass was hiding in his bunker. Never underestimate the full power of the US Military. No country or group has felt it since WWII. That includes the Korean War, Vietnam and the 1st and the 2nd Gulf War.

Yup we or at least I (canadian) am disgusted at how the canadian govt(Harper) is completely disregarding these poor(no pun intended) indigenous people are being treated. Recently canada was the only nation in the UN to not acknowledge the land rights of the indigenous peoples of canada. Makes me sick!

4:58have you heard of this occurring in any of Canadian media previously or now? They must know. Who should I contact to give information to? I am speaking of which journalists? I have a ton of info, most pertains to canada. and much written by Canadian mining investors, "cheap Guerrero Gold" etc

(From 4:58) Chivis, you can try the national newspapers The National Post and The Globe and the Mail or if you want a really good underground agency that has really really good reporting all over the globe but based in Montreal ,Canada it's called Vice. Many news agencies in the mainstream pick up off their reporting. As for tv news, you can try CBC, CTV or GLOBAL News. Hope this helps to get the word out.

Everybody in the world is mooching and stealing from the people of Mexico while the poor Mexican citizens starve and watch. China...the Iron ore from Michoacán, Canada the gold from Guerrero, the cartels stealing billions of oil now EPN is opening the door for the USA to come take a piece of the oil pie as well. I wonder how much Salinas de Gortari made under the table selling Mexico's telefonos? It is no wonder the poor flock to the USA everyone is making a killing in their own country except them. Puro raterismo y Desmadre en Mexico.

your allways crying about the usa.every mexican in nuevo laredo who had money went to the usa.thatswhy the cartels mess with the poor.any body who has money gets out of mexico.its like in the usa.the white people leave the city because theres to much crime.you need about 20 million mexican to just cross into the united states at the same time.to protest the goverment.the mayor and the police killed these people.and nobody cares.if 20 million people flee to the usa at the same time and ask for help.something going to give.

Canada, the world knows you sanction the killings of baby seals through violent - brutal methods. You say it's to control the seal population. However, it's seems to me your sanctioning the killing of citizens of Guerrero when you obtain mining rights with indifference to the methods used by organized crime, sanctioned by the govt. of Mexico, without regard to its victims. As a so-called first world country, you should refrain from doing business with govt. officials who are in cahoots with organized crime. Your companies Canada are knowingly aiding and abetting criminal organizations and corrupt politicians who are carrying out atrocities against the people of Guerrero.

Sadly, in the there was no mention of the one male student teacher whose face was 'removed' (it was sickening to see but the world should be made aware of all the blood thirsty slaughtering happening DAILY in Mexico).

I am sorry about the Indigenous aspect of this story. I am born/raised in Canada but just as disgusted at how REAL Canadians--our Indigenous people have be marginalised.

I need some time to look into Canada's role in Mexico's mines in terms of who Chivas et al might contact to bring awareness of my country's agenda as this is the first I've heard of this matter.

If anyone could catch + keep the attention of an extremely busy but well versed writer/reporter at the Toronto Star newspaper then I recommend:

Rosie DiMannoEmail: rdimanno@thestar.ca

I do not know her personally but read many of her stories in the daily paper. She is currently covering coincidently a gay man who dismembered his boyfriend's body parts to several places includung our Prime Minister's office (fortunately it was intercepted).

I didn't hear of any proof he did what they say in this story. So far its just hearsay. Who knows if the so called escapees were actually picked up by other and released on condition they make these statements.

Meh, Canadian mining companies have been doing rotten business for decades & most of the mining operations in LatAm are Canadian. It's about gold; the one thing that has driven Euros to mass murder since time immortal. Nothing has changed; sadly.

As to that cockroach of a sociopathic Mayor, I agree he should be bumped off in a most horrific manner.

I know you won't put this in the comments. I do know you will read this. I work for one of those Canadian mineral exploration companies near Iquala. I have heard the sounds of the bad people doing their evil. The modern mineral exploration company that I am involved with treats the local people fairly, and understands that they are conducting business with a social license from the ejidos and the families and the individuals who live there. Corruption and the criminal gangs, and the prohibition of substances used by Americans and Canadians to chemically relax are the source of this problem, and all of the money. In addition to the local company employees, we are working to develop new means of economy for the town and area for those not involved with the mining, and for when the mine has ended production. Your ending to the article suggests to me that you also have an agenda, maybe other than the ending of corruption and the associated criminal gangs. This saddens me as leftist/rightist, blah, jingoist blah from all sides. Real education, not teachers by inheritance, true representative democracy, and a real moral compass of the people would go a long way to lifting Mexico out of these problems. Oh, and legal ownership for the means of self defense. I ask you, "If 1/3 of a town flees when a new drug gang takes that territory, what does that tell you about how difficult it will be to end this." Next I ask you this, is there anyone in Mexico who can not be corrupted?

Fairly¿!? You need rephrase your whole comment because you are destroying cultures and thriving off people ignorance and economic hell,you and the rest need to give every indigenious kid and family a laptop and free internet and a superb education and see how they will eradicate you as a whole,but your smarter than that and wonnt even sponsor a brick to build a good 1st world country school,you disgust me with your fat pig ways..

No proof? I suppose technically you are correct, But 3 of the four escapee say the same thing, and have given sworn testimony. Testimony that the state and local government said isn't proof just like you, yeah the foxes guarding the hen house say it is not proof,

I hope the military or the police do not catch the mayor and his entourage. I want the innocent citizens to catch them and destroy them in every wicked way possible. The hatred in those two's hearts, the children of Satan. The people elected him to protect and serve and he was one of the cartel scum murderers.

@10.59 pm, the big issue here is that there was never a trial or an investigation, the case was buried, this means that mayor had some serious protection from higher ranks in the state government, it also makes him look dirty as shit even without taking into account this last incident with the students.

11:52your comment is all over the place, but I feel you can contribute from an important perspective. That said, the fact that my article addendum, or as you reference "the ending", seems to have struck a nerve with you tells me I am on the right path of learning what is happening.

I have been a humanitarian in Mexico for over a decade, and I will tell you that I am still learning, each state and region has issues specific to that region. I am learning about gro, which is not too much different , albeit more intense, than its neighbor Michoacan.

You may THINK you are conducting yourself with integrity during your work in Gro Mines, but you could be well intentioned and not know the people you are in association with. Nothing is as it seems in Mexico. I am not only a humanitarian with our family foundation, but our family business is an international entity in the pacific rim for 35 years, we moved to asia decades ago after deciding against Mexico.

Why you were sad about my inclusion of the mining information is a puzzlement. as well as your questioning my agenda. I am a volunteer. So unlike yourself my motivation is not money. all of my work in Mexico and Central Am is volunteer work.

my agenda is providing reality and news to the English speaking world of organized crime activities in Mexico. It is a focused agenda. But I concede that I will gravitate towards topics that are;

a) breaking news b)relevant and timely c)historical info and d) that which affects the ills of Mexican society

I would love to pick your brain privately.best addy chivis.martinez@hushmail.com

How is it going to stop. You want someone else to do it for you? The government has been reluctant to do it. There are some Mexicans that would defend their family and rights. Like you said some, and maybe not you. I understand that some people cannot do it. But there has not been one that has stood up and resorted to the only thing to remove the threat. That is to eliminate it.

This story was so hard to read because it was so sad. I know this happens everyday, but it never gets easier for me to hear. I also saw someone ask about Dr. Mireles, I also would like to know how he is, if you know anything. As always Chivis, great work, thank you for your translation, your hard work and all you dedication.

Fairly? You and your chronies disgust me,anybody triying to do good for mexico gets intercepted by suvs and killed off,if you gave a rats arse about mexicos people(which you clearly dont)you would build and enormous school house where the children get 1st world education,and you will see how your company will be eradicated..

Boy you stepped real deep in the crap, didn't you? LOL. La Chivis has you in her sights! Wikileaks, extensive damaging info., etc. When your boss told you to post that rambling comment, he made a big mistake. ; )

The modern mining and mineral exploration business in Mexico, like all businesses in Mexico, pays a tax to the day government and the night government if they want to operate. Modern companies know that to sustain their efforts they must listen to, understand, incorporate into operations, and address all stakeholder concerns. Mining and exploration companies do not facilitate criminal gangs. To say that the criminal gangs run/control mining is preposterous, the skill sets for each do not overlap. To say that criminal gangs demand their take "mordida aka little death" from mining, exploration or ANY business is true. What I am trying to say is that the mining business isn't the source of the violence, criminality, corruption, etc.

I do appreciate what you do.

From my view, the mining business is not the boogie man.

On a side, one unintended consequence of the deterioration of Mexico is that to transport goods, one must pay tribute to each territory passed through. This is Balkanization. So, everything is higher priced. And simple workers can not deliver what they could in the past, to market, without paying along the way, and being confronted by the bad people.

October 5, 2014 at 11:52 PM No matter what you say,you will get flamed,its an endless litany of blame against other countries.Mexico can only be cured by Mexico,yet they will always blame and point fingers at anyone and everyone.Just about every country on this planet has been exploited and many a whole lot worse than Mexico,one thing that is different is the the unfettered corruption that is routinely accepted.Drugs,crime,criminality,corruption,apathy,etc etc.They really should focus internally not externally...

When is somebody in the U.S. going to pay attention to our neighbor to the south and the mess that is so close to us. U.S. stop wasting your time and our tax dollars in some far east country that doesn't even want the help. The Mexican fail state is a threat to our national security don't you see it. Do something before is too late or is it?

Mexican mining is like in the old west, with all its trickery, alive and kicking.Mexico's mining industry, nationalized since adolfo lopez mateos in the very early 60's, by the 70's was in trouble, due to politicians "administering".--They were stealing all the production, and demanding from the workers better production under worse and worse conditons, the miners union under napoleon gomez sada, gave in however slowly to all the demands of the employer, until napoleon's son, napoleon gomez urrutia was forced to run to: Canada, and the former politicians, armed wih ownership of the mines, new partners and their own tugs from spurious unions tried to fight foreign investors with more money to buy politicians and better bidsfor the fire sales...That has been behind a lot of problems, mines owners egging their sicarios against the sicarios of other mine owners, with politicans greed, and associations with narcs, fighting among themselves from hidalgo, durango chihuahua, hidalgo, coahuila, michoacan, san luis, monterrey...Napoleon gomez urrutia has come back to mexico to lead the miners union, again under pena nieto's pri, but the problems that started about 40 years ago are worse than ever, thanks to the craze over privatization of whatever the rich want, including the profits from drug trafficking and impunity, and socializing poverty, ignorance, drugs and death for the poor including prison...--the root causes of mexico's problems are too many, not just mining, or foreign investors or canadian companys, or luxembourg cmpanies, or luxembourg banks, or india's investors fronting for england, WWIII can be blamed on the neo-liberal vulture capitalists and their bald faced piracy...--WWIII? Is it upon us? Unanounced and hitting all of us from the back ukraine, the middle east, latin america, "embarrassing brussels" into picking on russia along with the rest of europe because joe bidden's son is president of a gas company in ukrainia that wants to buy CHEAP russian gas to sell to the ukrainians for big profit...--kicking farmers from their lands, because the STATE owns the land, and those in charge of the state have sold out to big agro...--It is not just canadian companies, it is the way of the global vulture capitalists against the wanna be's like the larreas and the bailleres, and we better get used to it...

There is moderate groups fighting in Syria. Unfortunately, the extremists always end-up with the most support - especially from the Wahabi regime of Saudi Arabia. There is something called oil that they make a lot of money from.

11:52 you seem to always complain that your comment will not be posted...Is it you the same guy?4:33 no matter what, the mexican government is so deep into the shit, that they can barely keep themselves afloat with the weapons the US provides them against an ignorant and unarmed populace, too lazy and cowardly after the slice of shock and awing mexico gets from the shit pie sent to latin america from the US by the US government, behind the backs of the US people's.--of course, you are too busy defending your masters to be confused with the facts, as any self respecting lap dog should. --Mining engineers just do their job, for a bit better money, and think everybody else is doing ok, i have worked explorations and on other mines in mexico, and i know about the corruption from top to bottom, except i did not stay for seconds, it was true that you need to keep your enemies close and your friends even closer, and came to the US to be a full blown wet back...--i don't feel like i "owe" a thing to the US, maybe to the american people, i owe them the truth as i see it, if they can handle it or not, it is their problem, not mine...

In 're: 10/06 9:16pmYou just don't have an idea what's going on in Mexico. No bad economy,no bad government makes people torture,kill,skin,decapitate other human beings,it's those monsters mentality that does it. Eradication of those guilty is the only answer.

Wonder why the house of saud never gets on any wars? But the financed osama bin laden, and the 9/11 terrorists, the just sent 3 billion dollars to france to supply arms to "lebanon" i'm sure he weapons ended with isis, the saudis do their dirty work for the UK and the US...

I am trying to find where Peña Nieto stands in all this. I am yet to find anything proactive regarding the improvement and/or actions needed to stabalize this country from corruption? Any links appreciated. Thanks!

hello, thank for you for this. you touch on it but wanted to get more information about the links to mining and José Luis Abarca. I am doing research on this and see a direct link between mining (Canadian) and the murders..can u expand or share more links on this?